Furnace port construction



April 4, 1939. K. G. KUTCHKA `2,152,808

FURNACE PORT CONSTRUCTION Filed Macn 4, 1938 sheets-sheet l BY @y RNEYS.

April 4, 1939. K, G KUTCHKA n 2,152,808 I FURNACE PORT CONS TRUCTIONFiled March 4, 1938 2 sheets-sham 2 INVENTOR. KHQL G'. Ku v'c Hkn A REYS.

Patented Apr. 4, 1939 PATENT OFFICE y 2,152,808 o FURNACE roaTCONSTRUCTION Karl G. Kutchka, Wilkinsburg, Pa., asslgnor to PittsburghPlate Glass Company, Allegheny County, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application March 4, 1938, Serial No. 193,958

8 Claims.

l *The invention4 relates to a furnace port construction andparticularly to the means for supplying gas thereto for giving theproper mixture with the heated 'air flowing through the port from theregenerators. The present practice inclines toward the use of widerports and considerable diiiiculty is encountered in securing a thoroughdistribution of the combustible gas throughout the relatively largecross section of air flowing through the ports. The failure to secure acomplete mixture results in poor combustion in the furnace even thoughthe relative proportions of gas and air supplied are theoreticallycorrect.

vThe present invention has for one of its prin-l cipal objects theprovision of a port and burner construction which will insure a verycomplete mixture of the gas and air with wide port openings which mayrange in width (horizontally) up to six feet, and thus insure a moreelcient combustion in the furnace. A further object is the provision ofa simple construction suitable for standard installations in whichcombustion will begin at or close to the port opening rather than backof the port opening ashas been proposed heretofore in attempts whichhave been made to secure the same end result of a complete mixture ofgas and air, since combustion in the port passage remote from the outletend results in heat losses and reduces the life of the ue walls whichare thus overheated. One embodiment of the invention as applied to aglass tank or furnace is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through one side of the tank or furnaceequipped with the improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section onthe line II--II of Fig. 1. And Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the portopening showing diagrammatically the distribution of the combustible gastherein as provided by my apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 4 is the melting end of a glass tank, and. 5is one of the port openings leading through the side wall of the tank.It will be understood that the other side of the tank involves a similarconstruction and that there are a number of port openings similar to theopening 4 on each side of the tank. Two sets of checkerwork chambers 6and 'I are provided on each side of the tank, in which the air to bedelivered to the tank'is preheated. The passages 8 and 9 lead upwardfrom the checker chambers and discharge horizontally through thepassages I 0 and Il, such passagesbeing separated by a partition wall I2, which terminates about three feet short of the port opening 5. 'Ihetop Wall I3 of the passagewayy forward of the division wall is inclineddownwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1, to direct the mixture of air and gasflowing through the passageway downward toward the surface of thematerial in the tank, which in this instance, 5' is glass. Thisexpedient is' one which is known in the art and increases the efliclencyof the apparatus. The side walls I4, I4 of the passageway are preferablyinclined toward each other from the port opening 5 back so that thevolume of 10 gas and air is spread out laterally due to the port openingbeing of greater width than height,

as indicated in Fig. 3. As heretofore pointed out, the present practicetends toward the use of wide ports which may range in horizontaldimension 15 as much as six feet.

The method of supplying the combustible gas to the passageway to therear of the port opening 5 will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2.As here shown, the side walls of the passageway 20 are provided with twopairs of gas passages I5,

I5 and I6, I6, through which gas is supplied from the pipes I'I, I1 andI8, I8. The pair of passages I5, I5 are adjacent the port opening 5 andthe bottom of the passageway, while the passages I6, 25 I6 are locatedat the end of the division wall I2,

so that the gas which flows through these passages is supplied. to thebody of air owing through the passageway intermediate 'the two layersflowing through the passages I0 and II. 30 Both sets of gas passages I5,I5 and I6, I6 are directed at an angle transverse to the longitudinalcenter line of the passageway and also toward the port opening, theangle of the passages I5, I5 with respect to the line of flow being moreacute 35 than the angle of the passages I6, I 6 with respect to suchline of ow. As a result the gas supplied through the passages I 5, I5 isdistributed through the port opening, as indicated in the shadedportions of the drawing marked A, A, in Figs. 2 and 40 3, such areasbeing the ones along the sides of the passageway. The gas passingthrough the passages I6, I6 is directed to the center of the body of airowing through the passageway, as indicated by the shaded areas marked B,B, ,in 45 Figs. 2 and 3, so that the central portion of the body of airreceives its supply of gas from the passages I6, I6. `The location ofthe passages I6,

I 6 and their angle with respect to the line of flow contribute to thedistribution of the gas to the '50 central portion of the body of airowing through the port, but in addition, this tendency towards centraldistribution may beincreased by supplying gas through the pipes I8, I8at a higher pressure than that supplied through the pipes I1, I'I. It 55will be seen that by the foregoing arrangement, provisionis made fordistributing gas effectively throughout the entire width of the portarea even. though such area is relatively wide in a horizontaldirection, and that there are no portions of the cross section which arenot supplied with gas. As a result, a very thorough distribution of gasand air occurs, and a consequent high emciency is secured in thecombustion which subsequently occurs. The low pressure ywhich ispreferably used in thegas pipes I1, l1 carries the gas forwardly at avelocity such that combustion occurs closer to the side Walls of theport opening 5 than would be the case if high pressure were used inthese supply pipes. This is desirable as heretofore pointed out, in thatthis combustion at or closely adjacent the port opening gives greaterefficiency and avoids -any tendency of overheating the wallsof the portpassageway back from the port opening. Other advantages incident to theconstruction will be apparent to those the art.

What I claim is:

1. In combination in a furnace having means for preheating the air usedfor combustion and a horizontally elongated port opening, a passagewayfor conducting the heated air to the opening,l such passageway havingits top wall inclined upwardly from the horizontal from the port openingback a substantial distance, a pair of gas passages through the sidewalls of the passageway adjacent the portopening and the bottom of thepassageway, a second pair of gas passagesv through the side walls of thepassageway n to the rear of the first pair of passages and at a higherlevel than such passages, and gas supply pipes for deliveringcombustible gas under pressure through all of said passages, all of saidpipes being positioned transverse to the longitudinal center line of thepassageway and inclined so that they deliver toward the port opening,with the angle of inclination of the pipes delivering through secondpair of passages less withy respect to the longitudinal center line ofthe passageway than that of the pipes delivering through the other pairof passages.

2. In combination in a furnace having means for preheating the air usedfor combustion and a horizontally elongated port opening, a passagewayfor conducting the heated air to the opening, such passageway having itstop wall inclined upwardly from the horizontal from the port openingback a substantial distance, a pair of gas passages through the sidewalls of the passageway adjacent the port opening, a second pair of gaspassages through the side walls of the passageway to the rear ofthe rstpair of passages and at a higher level than such passages, meansfor'supplying combustible gas under pressure through the rst passages atan angle transverse to the longitudinal center line of the passagewayand also toward the port opening, and means for supplying combustiblegas at a higher pressure through the second passages at a more obtuseangle to said center line than the discharge through the first passage.

3. In combination in a furnace having means for preheating the air usedfor combustion and a substantial distance, a pair of gas passagesthrough the side walls of the passageway adjacent the port opening, asecond pair of gas passages skilled in through the side walls of thepassageway opposite the end of said division wall and at a higher levelthan the rst pairof passages, and gas supply pipes deliveringcombustible gas thnough all of said passages.

4. In combination in a furnace having means for preheating the air usedfor combustion and a horizontally elongated port opening, a passagewayfor conducting the heated air to the opening, such passageway having itstop wall inclined upwardly from the horizontal from the port openingback a substantial distance, a horizontal division wall in thepassageway terminating short of the port opening a substantial distance,a pair of gas passages throughA the side walls of the passagewayadjacent the port opening, a secondfpair of gas passages through theside walls of the passageway opposite the end of said division wall andat a higher level than the first pair of passages, means for supplyingcombustible gas under pressure through the rst pair of passages, andmeans for supplying combustible gas at a higher pressure through thesecond pair of passages. p

5. In combination in a furnace having means for preheating the air usedfor combustion and a horizontally elongated port opening, a passagewayfor conducting the heated airto the opening, such passageway having itstop wall inclined upwardly from the horizontal from the port openingback a substantial distance, a horizontal division wall in thepassageway terminating short of the portl opening a substantialdistance, a pair of gas passages through the side walls of thepassageway adjacent the port opening, a second pair of gas passagesthrough the side walls of, the passageway opposite the end of saiddivision wall and at a higher level than the iirst pair of passages,means for supplying combustible gas under pressure through the firstpair of passages, toward the vport opening at an acute angle to the lineof now of air through the passageway, and means for supplyingcombustible gas at a higher pressure through the second pair` ofpassages toward the port opening and at a less acute angle to said lineofA flow than in the case of the rst pair of passages.

6. In combination in a furnace havingmeans for preheating the air usedfor combustion and.

a horizontally elongated port opening, a passageway for conducting theheated air to the opening, such passageway having its top wall inclinedupwardly from the horizontal from the port opening back a substantialdistance, and having. its side wall inclined toward each other from theport opening back a substantial distance, a pair of gas passages throughthe side walls of the passageway'adjacent the port opening,- a secondpair of gas passages through the side walls of the passageway to therear of the first pair of passages and at a higher level than suchpassages, and gas supply pipes for delivering combustible gas underpressure through all of said passages.

'1. In combination in a furnace having means for preheating the air usedfor combustion and a horizontally elongated port opening, a passagewayfor conducting the heated air to the opening, such passageway having itstop wall inclined upwardly from the horizontal from the port openingback a substantial distance, a horizontal division wall in thepassageway terminating short 0f the port opening a substantial distance,and having its side walls inclined toward veach other f rom the portopening back a substantial distance, a pair of gas ypassages through theside walls of the passageway adjacent the port opening, a second pairofgas passages through the side walls of the passageway opposite the endof said division wall and at a higher level than the rst pair ofpassages, and gas supply pipes delivering combustible gas through all ofsaid passages.

8. In combination in a furnace having means for preheating the air usedfor combustion and a horizontally elongated port opening, a passage- Wayfor conducting the heated air to the opening, such passageway having itstop wall inclined upwardly from the horizontal from the port openingback a substantial distance, a horizontal` division wall in thepassageway terminating short of the port opening a substantial distance,and having its side walls inclined toward each other from the portopening back a substantial diss I 3 tance, a pair of gas passagesthrough the side wall of the passageway adjacent the port opening, apair of gas passages through the side walls of the passageway oppositethe end of said division wall and at a higher level than the rst pair ofpassages, means for supplying combustible gas under pressure through therstpair of passages' toward the port opening at an` ac-ute angle to theline of flow of air through the passageway, and means for supplyingcombustible gas at a higher pressure through the second pair of passagestoward the port opening, and at a less acute angle to said lineof flowythan in the case of the rst pair of passages.

KARL G. KUTCI-IKA.

